Ranking the top 10 high school sports rivalries in Central Florida

The Dr. Phillips-Olympia rivalry tops the list of top rivalries in Central Florida.

July 19, 2011|By Charles King, Orlando Sentinel

Rivalries between high schools tend to add a special feeling of importance to athletic competition. Here is a list of some of the best current rivalries in Central Florida:

1. Dr. Phillips vs. Olympia

These athletic powerhouses are just around the corner from each other, and the rivalry is year-round. The fall is headlined by a testy football environment. The boys and girls basketball teams keep the fire lit in the winter. Then the rivalry expands in the spring to baseball, girls lacrosse and water polo. "It's a healthy rivalry that comes from being just four miles apart," Olympia athletic director Tom Curran said.

2. Lake Highland vs. Bishop Moore

Lake Highland's and Bishop Moore's football teams thrilled fans with a nailbiter to end the regular season last year. Unforunately, the schools have agreed to take a break from their annual matchup in that sport, but the rivalry will carry on in many other sports, such as soccer, lacrosse, basketball and tennis.

3. Mainland vs. Seabreeze

These Daytona Beach schools may have other Volusia County rivals, but none is more important than this one. The annual football game sets the tone for the rest of the year, but sports such as basketball and baseball are also very important to the student body.

4. Eustis vs. Mount Dora

Traditionally, Eustis and Leesburg were Lake County's best rivalry. Because the schools have changed so much in size, Mount Dora largely has replaced Leesburg as Eustis' biggest foe. This rivalry's intense nature has grown in recent decades and is most obvious in football, basketball and baseball.

5. DeLand vs. Seminole

One of the longest-standing rivalries in the state, the importance of this game usually varies from sport to sport. One exception: The magnitude of the football game, known as the Battle of the Bridge, has changed very little.

6. Edgewater vs. Boone

The schools are nearly 60 years old, making this Orange County's longest current rivalry. While other football rivalries have had hiccups in annual scheduling, the game for the coveted barrel may be the most consistently played rivalry game in Central Florida.

7. St. Cloud vs. Harmony

For decades in Osceola County, little was more important than games between St. Cloud and Osceola. New schools have been built over the years, and when Harmony opened in 2004, St. Cloud had a new rival. "We really have two rivalries, but it has changed over time," St. Cloud AD Chad Ansbaugh said. "The students want to beat Harmony."

8. Oviedo vs. Hagerty

For a decade, the Oviedo-Winter Springs rivalry was as bitter as any in Central Florida. But when Hagerty was built, Oviedo's attention shifted. "It's like playing against your best friend,'' Oviedo football coach Wes Allen said. "You don't want to lose to them.''

9. Lake Brantley vs. Seminole County

While other rivalries exist within Seminole County, all of the schools outside of Altamonte Springs have one thing in common: a desire to beat Lake Brantley. The Patriots have won the county's all-sports trophy for three consecutive years.

10. Timber Creek vs. East River

This rivalry is the youngest in Central Florida, but it is destined to become one of the best. East River is entering only its third year, but expect games between these neighbors to be loaded with tension in the coming decade.